


Curiosity killed the cat

by kittycatcat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Betrayal, Broken Friendships, Cheating, Depression, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Loss of Virginity, Mind Games, Oral Sex, Post-War, Rough Sex, Top Draco Malfoy, Vaginal Fingering, Wrong for eachother, hickey, toxic draco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:13:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28109889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittycatcat/pseuds/kittycatcat
Summary: Hermione was back at Hogwarts for her last year. Scarred by the war and struggling to readjust to the normalcy everyone else seemed to find, she found herself seeking comfort elsewhere. He clearly still hated her, and she tried her best to keep up the same facade. But she had started to seriously fall for Draco Malfoy, while to him, she was just a plaything he could mess with when bored.Includes a lot of toxic behaviour, mind games, explicit content etc.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm so excited to start on this story, definitely inspired by a few pieces of excellent writing on this site. Comment what you think!

Hermione looked out the large glass window in her dorm, leaning against the wooden windowsill just as she had so many times before.

This time however, it felt different. Looking out onto the grounds she wasn’t consumed with the same feeling of calm she had in her previous years. Now every part of the castle was tarnished with a painful memory from the war.

The courtyard she currently had her eyes set on was no longer a place of beauty and grace. All it did was remind her of that day Voldemort and his Death Eaters had entered with Harry, lying dead in Hagrid’s arms.

An overwhelming feeling of dread took over until she had to avert her gaze. Hermione sighed, and placed her feet softly on the floor again, walking over to her bed and burying herself under the covers.

Hogwarts was not what it once was, and she doubted it ever would be again. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that this following year would be nothing like the previous seven.

* * *

Breakfast was busy as usual, with everyone sitting in their groups at their respective house tables.

Today was especially loud however, with almost everybody in the Great Hall discussing the most recent drama. It was clear just by looking at Pansy’s gloom expression that the rumors where true.

Draco had broken up with her after their summer long fling. Hermione overheard Parvati claiming it was because Draco had found the raven haired girl far too clingy for his taste. Someone else added that it was well known that Draco hadn’t exactly been faithful during their relationship, having been caught with a a sixth grader or two on multiple occasions. 

"I mean, what did she expect? Getting together with a man-whore?" Padma chuckled.

Hermione glanced over at the blond prefect sitting at the Slytherin table, speaking with the boy sitting beside him. He seemed perfectly unaffected by the commotion caused by his recent breakup. Instead of bashfully avoiding other students obvious stares while dying inside of humiliation, as Hermione would have done in his position, he acted as if he didn’t even notice.

  
In a way Hermione could relate to Malfoy.

Just a few weeks ago she had chosen to break things of with Ron, to everyones surprise. Although they hadn’t technically even made anything official, it had been pretty clear that they were a couple since their kiss during the battle.

In a way it had been everything Hermione hard wanted since third year, and after what felt like a decade of pining after her best friend the pieces seemed to finally fit. But the newfound bliss of a first love ended fast, and problems quickly arose between the two.

Their interests didn’t really align on any front other than caring for each other. She loved to read, obsess over details and was perfectly contempt not being in the center of attention at all times. Ron on the other hand craved this attention, after growing up in a large family, and needed the validation. His love for quidditch wasn’t something Hermione necessarily minded, it was more his incessant need to talk about it. Surely he should have been able to figure out that her interest in the Chudley Canons new keeper wasn’t all that high.

Another difference was how they had been affected by the war.

Ron, like most of the student body, seemed to be coping by throwing himself back into daily life. Quidditch, studies and parties where going on as if the threat of Voldemort had never been.

Hermione felt strangely isolated in her depressed state. It wasn't that they weren't including her in it all, they were. But she just couldn't gather the strength too pretend to care. Perhaps she was weak. Fragile. But the war had taken it's toll on her, and she sometimes felt she had nothing left to give.

To be honest the breakup hadn’t hurt that much. It was more of an annoyance really, having failed at something everyone expected them to be so good at. Mrs. Weasley’s reaction was one of the worst. She had sent her son a howler the minute she heard the news, and continued to owl Hermione letters hoping to persuade her that whatever Ron had done, she should give him another chance.

But Hermione was certain. Her and Ron, they weren't right for each other. Not as more than friends, anyway. " _Why break what isn't broken?_ " was something that had crossed her minds a few times when reflecting over their potential romantic future. Surely fulfilling some childhood crush wasn't worth losing one of the few people she could rely on. One of the few she truly trusted.

* * *

  
”Hermione, you really shouldn’t be wandering the halls at this hour. I doubt Filch has gotten any kinder since last time we ran into him” Harry sighed.

Hermione was pulling her sweater over her head and one her way out of the common room.

”Honestly Harry, I just need a breather. I can’t stand being cooped up in here all the time, it’s bloody exhausting” She snarked. Seeing the expression on Harry’s face she regretted her hostile tone. ”Sorry, I’m just a bit stressed right now. I’ll be back soon.”

Before Harry had a chance to reply she was out of the common room and halfway down the stairs. 

She wasn't certain where she was heading. Most of the portraits were sleeping, so she tried her best to not make to much noise as she walked down the staircase.

Without really contemplating she let her feet carry her outside. Only being the beginning of September, she hardly felt a chill as she stood there, attempting to decide a destination.

After a moment of shuffling her feet Hermione headed of towards the Lake. She had fond memories of the place, of all the times Harry, Ron and herself had sat there during their early school years. Hermione, studying for an upcoming test, while her friends discussed some speculation or idea they had. She would usually only half-heartedly listen, knowing most of the things they said would be repeated again that evening in the common room. 

She sat down in the grass, putting her feet at the edge of the water and staring out over the water. She sighed, disappointed by what she had already known. It didn't give her the sense of serenity it once had. Nothing did.

Perhaps it wasn't Hogwarts that had changed. Maybe it was her. She was the one who used to find joy in everything. Now all she could feel was emptiness. 

Just as a tear started to run down her cheek, she heard a rustle behind her. Immediately turning her head and already reaching for her wand in her hand, she was stunned by what she was.

"Malfoy?"

The tall dark shadow was standing far enough away for Hermione to struggle to see, but the figures distinct platinum blond hair stood out against the darkness surrounding him. 

"What are you doing here Mudblood?" 

Her breath hitched at the sound of that word. A word she had heard many times, and many times by him. But somehow it still struck a nerve each time. 

"I could ask you the same thing, ferret" Hermione responded, struggling not to let her nervousness show. 

He took a step forward, revealing the foul expression on his face. "I always come here, and usually don't have to deal with unwelcome guests". His tone was bitter, although she could hear a glimpse of something else. He quite frankly sounded uncomfortable. 

"You don't own the lake Malfoy" She snarked back, trying to imitate the level of hostility in his voice. "I have every right too be here" 

Malfoy tensed, visibly by the raise in his shoulders as he observed her from above. A shiver went rushing down her spine as his grey eyes glared at her. It took everything she had not to look away, beaten by his resolve and having fled from his obvious scrutiny. But she couldn't accept backing down. Not when he was being the obnoxious prat she knew far too well.

No, she could not let him win. 

Swiftly she stood up from her place on the ground and faced him properly. He said nothing, making no noise. The only thing Hermione could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears as she tried her best to look intimidating. 

Not an easy task, with his tall frame and stone cold stare. She felt like a scared kitten standing there, waiting to see who was going to break first. 

"Well?" She snapped, not being able to stand there in silence for another second. "Are you going to just stand there and glare or do something?"   
  
The minute she said it she felt the regret seep into her mind. What the hell was she thinking? Giving him an ultimatum, knowing full well how terrified he was of getting his ego bruised. It didn't take much analysis to know that Draco Malfoy needed to feel powerful.

Anything that threatened his own self image was intolerable, leading to many incidents during their school years, the one with a certain hippogriff attack coming quickly to mind.

After what felt like a minute of him just standing there, dead silent in the dark without so much as a movement, he scoffed. 

"No Granger, I don't think I will"

And with that he turned on his heal and walked back towards the castle, leaving Hermione standing at the edge of the lake feeling as though she had been stunned. 


	2. Chapter Two

Reading had always been something Hermione could find comfort in. It soothed her in a sense, while quenching her thirst for knowledge all at once. 

Even though this year in many ways felt different, she still sought out the familiarity she found in the pages of her favourite pieces of literature. Muggle authors, wizarding topics, historical events, fiction. It didn't really matter. 

All that mattered was the books ability to draw her focus and make her forget her surroundings to the point where the ache of emptiness inside her no longer was present. 

Hermione was sitting in her favorite spot in the library, halfway through re-reading "Hogwarts: A History". When someone sat down on the chair beside her. 

"Hey" 

She glanced to the side to see who was interrupting her, not particularly excited to be cornered once again by someone desperate for her war stories. 

"Hi" she replied warily. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The boy cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm Matthew Fowler. We've been going to the same school for ages now, but I've never seemed to introduce myself. So, that's what I am doing i suppose." He flashed a small smile before going back to the nervous look on his face. 

Hermione took a second to process what she just heard. Sure, she recognized the boy. As he said they had been going to school together for the better part of a decade. If she wasn't mistaking she had heard a rumour about him an Cho a few years back, but it had never been verified. 

The problem wasn't recognizing him. It was determining what he was after. Why on earth would he now feel the need to introduce himself? Her suspicion must have been evident on her face, as Matthew began to speak again.

"We have both charms and transfiguration together this year, so I figured it couldn't hurt to get acquainted" 

That she could believe. Of course he was working an angle; befriend the brightest witch of her age and automatically be secured good grades for the rest of the year. Although, it wasn't that often people from Ravenclaw would ask her for a handout. 

"So, you want me to help you with charms and transfiguration then?" She let her gaze hop between his face and the way his hands where awkwardly placed on the table. "I might I have some extra time, but I am also quite busy so if you're looking for some studious slave who will write your essays, I'm not the one"

The shock on his face made her struggle to keep from laughing. She bit down slightly on her tongue to make sure she didn't give her amusement away, still slightly annoyed by his expectations.

"I think you've misunderstood" he started off slowly. "I only meant that it would be nice to have someone to sit next. There aren't many Ravenclaws in transfiguration this year, most of them opted out in preference for other classes" 

Hermione felt her cheeks start to blush. Fuck, she really just made an arse out of herself. Who did she think she was, assuming he was after free coursework. With the response she had given him she was surprised he hadn't already left.

"Oh- I, I didn't mean to-" she stuttered, suddenly feeling like a first year who had been caught by a prefect out of bed after curfew. "I made an assumption. My bad"

"It's cool" Matthew was now properly grinning, seeing her hostile demeanor ease. "I guess I'll see you in class then" 

"Yeah, bye" Hermione responded, covering her face with her hands as soon as he turned around.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione where all lounging in the common area, which was pretty much empty at this time of night. Harry and Ron where on there last round of wizards chess, while Hermione sat curled up in front of the fireplace, enveloped in a knitted blanket. 

"You do realize that you absolutely suck at this don't you Harry?" Ron grinned while his best friend sitting opposite him was contemplating his next move. "You may be the chosen one, but the day you beat me at this is the day the sun rises in the west and sets in the east" 

Harry made a sour face before moving his rook, looking up at Ron anxiously as he did. 

Hermione wasn't really one for wizards chess. She loved the strategizing and elaborate nature of the game, but to be honest the over the top displays of violence felt more up the boys alleys than hers. 

She glanced over at the clock. At this time last week she had been sitting by the lake as Malfoy had approached. She still couldn't understand what all that had been about, despite her mind wandering of to her theorizing every spare second she got. 

It was slightly unsettling. He hadn't said a word to her, not even offered a glance in her direction since that night. Not that she would have expected him too, but still it just made her wonder even more. 

Why was _he_ at the lake?

Why did her presence their unnerve him so?

And most of all, why was she so affected by it?

As much as Hermione tried to rationalize it, she couldn't help but question her own conclusions. It was Malfoy, her own personal tormentor for the past seven years. He was a pureblooded bigot that had no business getting all tangled up in her thoughts. Why on earth did she care? 

Perhaps he served as some sort of reminder. A reminder of the war, catapulting her back into those memories as effectively as a pensieve would have.

One look at him was like a cue for all her feelings of doubt, despair and hollowness to flood back into her life no matter how hard she tried to push them away.

That day she had been lying on the floor, writhing under Bellatrix Lestrange as she carved those heinous words into her arm to torment her for eternity.

It didn't matter that she said the phrase didn't affect her. It did. In fact, it almost affected her more now before the war. Because now she truly knew the depths of hatred towards her kind that was harbored by some. The lengths they would go to in order to rid themselves of people like her from their society. 

It was like a punch in the gut each time the eight letter word left someones lips. It wasn't just a disgusting slur meant to antagonize. It was a threat, a declaration of loathing she would never truly be able to rid herself of. 

That was probably why her interaction with Malfoy had stayed with her. It unnerved her to be reminded of it all, and then simply be ignored as if he did not even care.   
  
How could that be? The type of hatred she had seen in the eyes of death eaters wasn't simply compartmentalized because of a need for diplomacy. Perhaps he was just that good. That accustomed to playing a part he could sit there in class, or at dinner, or passing her in the corridors, and not feel the need to make his disdain abundantly clear. 

In way Hermione wished he wasn't. It was harder to prepare for something you didn't see coming. She had no idea where she stood with Malfoy, and the thought was deeply unsettling.

* * *

"I'm actually quite a decent at charms. I mean, it would have almost been harder to not be good at it, considering my father is rather obsessed with the subject" 

Hermione was headed to class, accompanied by Matthew, who was going on about his family's long history of becoming metal charmers. 

"You know, it's not exactly the most thrilling profession, but I think there is a lot of mental capability that is needed to succeed in that field. You need to be really intuned with your magic to make sure that the magical properties being imbued are safe" he continued.

She could tell he was interested in the subject, no, interested was probably the wrong word. Fascinated was more appropriate. Hermione would be lying if she said she felt the same, but she didn't mind Matthew's company. In fact, it had been rather nice, having someone new to talk to these last few days. 

Harry and Ron where her best friends. More than that, they where practically family. But it was clear that this year would not be another where the three of them got caught up in mischief, having no one but each other. While Hermione was struggling to readjust to the normalcy of it all, Ron was intent on shagging his way through his grief. Not that it was going great, she had heard a particularly awkward comment from a sixth year Hufflepuff regarding Ron's inattentiveness in bed. 

Now that any type of romantic feeling where completely gone, Hermione felt rather uncomfortable knowing the details of Ron's sex life. Harry on the other hand had dived head first into a full on relationship with Ginny. Other than spending time with her, was doing everything he could to distract himself from it all, whether that be quidditch, partying, socializing or attempting to study.

She still loved them, and they would always be best friends. But it was nice to have someone to be with that wasn't judging her for the way she was processing things. Or comparing her to her previous self. When Ron had said that she had lost practically all her personality after she had rejected going to Hogsmeade, she had felt ready to let her knees give out and cry, right there, in front of at least 20 gryffindors sitting nearby in the common room. 

Matthew was also smart. Naturally studious, witty and quite funny. A part from his excessive interest in charms, they had quite similar interests.

Unlike most of her own house, he didn't call her a know it all for correcting him on lesser known facts or sharing her favourite paragraphs from arithmatic texts she had read. He seemed to appreciate her academic knowledge instead of scolding her for it.

"Do you want to pursue a similar career in the future?" Hermione asked, trying to engage in the conversation.

"Perhaps" Matthew responded. "Although I am considering going into Magical Law. I think it may be better suited for my other interests, as well as a challenge"

She nodded, before taking her seat in transfiguration. She started to pick up her books, flipping to the page the professor had written on the board. Matthew did the same, proceeding to begin reading as Hermione suddenly felt a presence in the classroom. She glanced to the back of the class, seeing Malfoy sitting on his usual spot beside Blaise Zabini. 

He was staring right at her, meeting her eyes with an unreadable expression. 

She was momentarily baffled. It had been over a week since their run in at the lake, and up until now he acted as if he hadn't even noticed her existence. The sudden change in behavious caught her off guard. 

Hermione forcefully turned her attention back to her book. Compelling herself to read the paragraph on conjuring spells, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. She could practically feel his stare burning into the skin in her neck. 

Why was he suddenly paying attention to her now? It wasn't as if they hadn't had multiple classes together up until now. The only difference was the person sitting next to her, but she doubted that was the cause for his attentiveness.

It wasn't as if he could be stunned by her having male friends, she had practically been adjoined to the hips of both Harry and Ron for years.

Perhaps he assumed she and Matthew where more than friends. But even if that was the case, why would he care? No, that couldn't be it. There was something she was missing. 

More than anything Hermione scolded herself for reacting. She was squirming in her chair, feeling nervous knowing that he had been watching her. Her Gryffindor courage was melting away as a result of him simply looking her way.

What on earth was the matter with her? She had always looked down on the way the girls she knew would be affected by male attention. Going from strong, powerful witches to stuttering messes as soon as their crushes payed them the slightest attention. 

Not that that was a fair comparison. Hermione Granger did not have a crush on Draco Malfoy. The thought itself was preposterous. He was nothing if not the opposite of her type. Not that she had a type, she had typically prided herself on valuing a persons personality over appearance. 

But if she did have one, it wouldn't be him. His features weren't unattractive, but they housed none of the warmth and comfort she was normally drawn to. His features where to stern, as if he was constantly contemplating something so detailed and complicated his face would freeze in the form of a statue. 

He had definitely grown over the summer, now reaching well over six foot. His face had squared a bit, reducing the pointiness of his features that had previously been quite distinct. His quidditch training clearly had physical benefits, making his muscles obvious without being excessive. He basically looked like he belonged on the pages of those Wizard model calendars Parvati kept in their dorm.   
  
But no, Hermione definitely did not have a crush on Draco Malfoy. 


	3. Chapter Three

It had been an awful few days. Everytime Hermione turned a corner or found herself wandering the corridors, there he was. 

Had he always been so close in proximity? Surely she would have noticed him if that was the case. It was hard to ignore his presence, with his tall frame and prominent features. If he had always been so - around- she would definitely have known. 

Was he suddenly following her? That seemed possible, considering the amount of run-ins they had had. Although, he typically was already there, wherever she was going. It probably looked more as if she was the one following him. 

Which was simply absurd, obviously. Why on earth would she be trailing after Malfoy all around the castle. It had been two weeks since they last spoke a word to each other, and other than the occasional eye contact during classes he didn't seem to mind the silence.

This particular day was turning out to be at the top of the list of her most uncomfortable encounters. Malfoy had been present at practically every class she had, seated right across from her during meals on the other side of the Great Hall and just so happened to have been studying in the library at the same time she was. 

She had eventually felt so unnerved by his constant presence that she packed up her classwork and left the library, deciding to finish off her homework in the common room. 

"Hold on Granger" she heard a low growl coming from behind her. In all of two seconds he was in front of her, far too close for what seemed appropriate. 

"What is it Malfoy?" Hermione did her best to sound unaffected by the lack of room between them. She could practically taste his cologne, contaminating the air around her like a drug. 

"What's the rush, got somewhere to be?" Malfoy drawled, doing nothing to create more distance between them. 

She instinctively took a step back, only to realise she now had her back pressed against the wall. 

"I have homework to get done, and I'm not really in the mood for whatever this is" she glared daggers into him, using all the strength she could muster. 

He tilted his head slightly, still looking down at her and smirked. "Are you uncomfortable being alone with me?" 

She swallowed audibly before steadying herself. "I don't care enough about you to have any sort of reaction, Malfoy" 

He gave a low chuckle before placing his hands on both sides of the wall, practically locking her in place. 

"I think you care more than you're willing to admit" he whispered. His face was so close to hers she could smell the subtle scent of mint on his breath, focusing on that rather than try to interpret his unreadable expression. 

Before she could even conjure a response, his lips where on hers, unmoving for what must have been only a second but felt like an eternity. Merlin, he had soft lips. She had never thought about what they would feel like, but now that she knew she couldn't understand how she had gone her whole life without wondering. 

Suddenly the kiss went from innocent and tame to aggressive. His tongue licked her bottom lip, begging for entry. She immediately obliged, opening her mouth and meeting his tongue with her own. It was like power play, a test of who was stronger. He quickly won, dominating her mouth with his own leaving her pressed against him wanting more. 

His teeth grazed her lip before she felt the soft skin break, and suddenly their kiss was edged with the metallic taste of blood.

It wasn't just a kiss, she could feel that. It was aggression. His way of beating her, she supposed. A game he liked to play that she just happened to be the other unknowing participant of. 

All too soon his mouth was gone, and as she opened her eyes she saw his back turned headed back to the library.

"See you around Granger" he drawled before disappearing around a corner.

* * *

Hermione sat on her bed, pushing a pillow into her face to avoid listening to her dormmates chattering. For the life of her she couldn't figure out what had been going through her mind. 

She had let him kiss her. She had let _him_ kiss her. Malfoy. Her tormentor. A pureblood fanatic that had made her life a living hell for the past six years. Had she no sense of self preservation, no self respect? Why had she allowed it? Why hadn't she pushed him off her and ran away before he got a chance to do such a thing?

And why, bloody why, did he even do it? There was no way that he was harboring some crush on her, that idea was to unfathomable for her to even consider. Besides, the kiss hadn't been one of gentle appreciation. No, it had been a show of dominance. Was she truly that fun to humiliate? 

He had caught her looking at him a few times in class and figured he should put her in her place before she got any ideas? Hermione scoffed at the notion. As if she would be so foolish as to actually develop feelings for the boy. 

True, she had grown to find his looks rather pleasing, and she did get slightly nervous whenever he was around. But to even consider it being something more was preposterous. She had far too much common sense for that. 

And who the bloody hell did he think he was, simply pushing her up against the wall and ravishing her before turning on his heel? Where did he get the right to presume what she wanted, or whatever his motivations were. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it. 

Although it made her feel rather silly to admit it, she had practically been weak at the knees from the moment he stood in front of her. 

Hermione groaned into her pillow. How humiliated could one person feel before actually dying. She was sensing that she was getting pretty close. The only thing that could possibly have been worse than Malfoy kissing her as a taunt would be if anyone knew how much she enjoyed it. 

Although the school had been putting on a show of non house bias and trying to get the students to ease up on the hostility they had always been known to harbour against one another, it hadn't really gotten any better. Specifically between the gryffindors and slytherins. 

If anyone in her house, god forbid Harry or Ron, knew about the kiss she would be not only the laughing stock of the whole school but most likely shunned from her group of friends. Perhaps that was a slight exaggeration. They wouldn't shun her, simply judge her for the rest of eternity and loose all respect and trust for her. 

"What's the matter with you?" Parvati asked from her own bed across the dorm. 

Hermione pulled her head from the pillow and looked at her. Merlin, she probably looked like a nutcase right about now. 

"Er, nothing I just... Need a shower" she replied before hurrying of her bed and into the bathroom. She could feel the confused looks being sent around the dorm, but didn't have the capacity in that moment to come up with anything better to say. 

* * *

"You know you're staring right?" Hermione sighed as she looked over at her red headed best friend sitting beside her. They were sitting in the library, Hermione thouroughly going over her notes from the previous class while assuming Ron was doing the same. However, one look to her right and she noticed his attention had clearly been drawn elsewhere. 

Mandy Brocklehurst was sitting with her friends at a table not to far away, seemingly reading a book while sucking on the end of a sugar quill. Ron's gaze had been visibly drawn at her chest, in a rather crude manner, in Hermione's opinion.

"You could at least try to not be so obvious about it, unless your intention is to have her think of you as some creep" 

Ron's face was turning a most delightful shade of red as he snapped his head back to his parchment. "I wasn't even looking" He muttered.

Hermione chuckled. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Ron to be ogling girls, although it was rather amusing. "Sure you weren't. Just like I don't have brown curly hair" 

Rons lips turned upwards into a small smile at her comment, seeming rather relieved that she wasn't lecturing him on the disrespectful nature of his behaviour. 

"Well I'm certainly not the only one staring" He retorted. When she made a questioning face back he leaned in closer to avoid others from listening in. "That bloody git has been eying you for the last ten minutes" He said with a nod to the table behind them. 

She snuck a glance to see who he was referring to, immediately recognizing the blond slytherin sitting with his housemates not too many feet away. 

Eying wouldn't be the word Hermione would have used to describe what he was doing however. Scowling might be a more suitable term. He looked right at her with a frown that told her she was down-right annoying him. With what, she could hardly know. Was her presence truly that irritating that he felt the need to glower? Hardly, she had simply been sitting her reviewing her schoolwork, not even aware of his presence. 

Honestly, the nerve of that man. 

"Why is he looking at you?" Ron asked, seeming to have abandoned his enfatuation with Mandy's chest for long enough to divert his attention elsewhere. 

"And how am I supposed to know?" Hermione snarked. What did he think, that she could to read minds?

"Sorry" he replied, looking a bit hurt by the tone of her voice. "Just thought you might have talked or something" 

She looked away from the grey eyes glaring daggers at her to turn to Ron instead. "Why would I be talking to Malfoy?"

Ron scoffed. "I just figured, that after testifying at his trial you might have approached him or something. You are one for lost causes you know."

"Must be why I help you study then, although you seem to have no interest in learning" She sighed. 

Ignoring the comment, Ron continued. "Don't get me wrong, you'd do well to stay as far away as possible from the likes of him. Just because he didn't get sent to Azkaban doesn't mean he has any business being here, not after what he did" 

Hermione was a bit taken a back by his irritation. "He apologized for his involvement though. And he is on probation" 

"As if that is enough" Ron was visibly annoyed at this point. "It's not as if his views have changed. That mania is still as alive as ever within pureblood families, whether or not Voldemort is gone"

For a moment she felt as though she should defend Malfoy. He had apologized in front of the Wizengamot for his actions during the war. It had also been revealed that he took the dark mark unwillingly. However, the moment quickly passed. It was only weeks ago Malfoy had gone back to his old ways and called her a Mudblood out by the lake. Wether or not he regretted his part in Voldemorts rise, he clearly hadn't altered his opinion on the rest of it. 

"I suppose you're right" Hermione replied before picking up her quill and returning to her notes. She tried to ignore the Slytherin boy who's eyes were practically burning into her neck, but couldn't help but wonder what his game was. Why was he suddenly bothered about her? And not in the typical, old bully kind of way. This was different. Yet she still couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what it was he wanted.

* * *


	4. Chapter Four

Hermione was sitting in her last class of the day, practically counting the minutes before it was over and she could head to the library and get some studying done. 

Slughorn was late, so she was sitting idly chatting with Harry who was sat next to her. "I wouldn't worry too much about it Harry. Slughorn clearly favours you, so you'll most likely get an invitation to the slug club no matter how this class goes".   
  
Both of them had succumbed to Slughorn's proposition of them taking Advanced Potions this year. Hermione was thrilled, she was happy to have a challenge to keep her on her toes. She was starting to get back into her routine, finding more joy and security in her schoolwork and feeling less lost than she had earlier in the year. Harry had only agreed to appease the Professor, and was starting to have second thoughts. 

"I completely botched that potion we made last week Hermione, he's probably going to ask me to drop out before the end of term" Harry mumbled with his hands in his hair. The stress of NEWTS preparation and the heavy course load was definitely wearing on him. 

Before Hermione got a chance to answer to her friends comment, Slughorn entered the classroom. 

"Today we will be brewing a most delicate potion" He said while walking to the front of the class. "Amortentia"

Hermione straigthened her posture and got to flipping the pages of her textbook until she landed on the correct page. Amortentia, a love potion. Although not the most usable potion for every day life, it required an intricate procedure and would be good for practicing methodology.

Plus, It would be interesting to see what she truly was attracted to.

New parchment, freshly mown grass and spearmint toothpaste, she thought to herself. They were a given. Perhaps she would also catch a glimpse of a warm Sunday night roast.

She got to brewing after listening to Slughorn lecture for a few more minutes. There was no way she was messing this up. It was a pretty straightforward recipe, as long as one doesn't get distracted. 

Quickly she realised she was missing ashwinder eggs. Hermione walked off into the ingredients storage, quickly glancing around the room looking for the desired ingredient. After a moment she spotted the jar, sitting on the highest shelf. 

Reaching as far as she could, she almost had the jar before it quickly slipped out of her grasp. Bewildered, she turned around to be met by a broad chest right in front of her. 

"Yeez Malfoy, standing a bit close aren't you?" She let out an exasperated sigh and reached for the jar in his hand. "Would you give that back?"

"For the record, Granger, I was standing exactly where I meant to stand" A signature smirk on his face and his grey eyes narrowed slightly, he continued. "Why don't you ask _nicely_?"

She scoffed as his absurdity. "You know, one might think you would have a bit more appreciation for those who helped keep you out of Azkaban. But I guess that was just too much to expect from the Slytherin Prince" Her rage was practically radiating off of her. 

Malfoy was momentarily stunned, lowering his arm enough for Hermione to grab the jar, move around him and exit the storage unit.

Bloody git, she thought. 

* * *

Draco felt as though he was being pranked. A joke. An uninspired, bland, boring joke. For weeks Granger had been staring at him in class. Ever since that encounter at the lake she had been staring at him every chance she got. It made no sense, it wasn't as if anything had happened at the lake that would warrant this type of attention. She was clearly up to something.

But it was also there, in her eyes. The attraction in her gaze that revealed her true intention, or at least one intention. 

It was pathetic, honestly. Did she honestly have no self of self respect? Had she not heard the rumours that had been circulating around school since the day they hopped off the Hogwarts Express? He had cheated on Pansy, leaving her heartbroken. One would think that a girl like Granger would be deterred by such acts. Her typical good girl, swot persona should ensure it. Not to mention the fact that she would be lowering herself to the likes of a former death eater. 

Of course she wouldn't be. Draco certainly didn't have any interest in her. He had recently gone through a breakup, and believe it or not, had become quit popular since. Any girl who felt the need to stick it to Pansy would approach him, offering to suck his dick in some alcove. He was definitely not having to beg for female attention, so Granger could keep ogling him all she wanted, he wasn't going there. 

Other than that one night outside the library of course. Although that had been for altogether different reasons. It was a way of putting her in her place, he supposed. Any way he could find at getting under her skin, he would take. Although she might be some prudish virgin who placed value in a kiss, he didn't. That particular kiss certainly hadn't been gentle either- there was no room for interpretation regarding his feelings. Granger couldn't possibly be fooling herself into thinking that he felt something for her. 

It was getting rather amusing, actually. Getting into her personal space in the storage room, seeing her get all nervous by his presence, it sort of invigorated him. He may be a failure of a death eater, an outcast of society, but he still held the tools to rile Hermione Granger up. 

That was until she had reacted in the most unexpected way. After weeks of him catching her sneaking glances his way and blushing slightly at the sight of him, she somehow found the courage to tell him off. It was mind-boggling really. When had she decided she was done playing this game? He wasn't done, that was for sure. 

* * *

Hermione stood over her cauldron, adding the last ingredients before seeing the potion turn the perfect shade. Pleased with herself, she looked over to Harry, who was struggling slightly with the proper way to stir the potion. Snape's book really had been Harry's saving grace sixth year, setting unreasonably high expectations of his capabilities for Slughorn. This year would be much harder. 

"Very good, all of you. Some even managed to brew it to perfection!" Slughorn beamed, standing at the front of the class. "Why don't you take a sniff at it?" 

Hermione leaned over her vial, breathing in the scents. The hint of parchment was there, but what was truly noticeable was the harsh peppermint and dark sandalwood. Confused, she stood up straight and placed the vial back on the table. Peppermint, she didn't even like peppermint that much. 

"Remember that it isn't the smell itself that you're meant to be attracted to" she heard Slughorn say. "It represents the person or people you are truly attracted to. Big difference there, really..."

Suddely Hermione felt her face heat up. Peppermint. Peppermints. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing him stand at his typical table, looking bored as ever. How on earth could that be, she couldn't possibly. She could not be attracted to Draco Malfoy. A passing interest was one thing, a subtle curiosity. But him being present in her amortentia, that was something different. 

Before she could ponder it any further she heard Slughorn end the class, letting her gather her books and rush out the class.


	5. Chapter Five

Hermione pushed her hair out of her face, tying it up in a low ponytail in an attempt to control her hair that was unusually unruly today. She let out a sigh, taking herself in. She wondered if other people saw what she did when they looked at her. She knew that during her adolescence most people hadn't been able to see past the wild nature of her hair, being her most prominent feature. It had tamed quite a bit during the years, but was still noticeably messy. 

She had become quite attractive. Her curves had started to come back after the year she spent on the run with Harry and Ron, although they weren't anything to special. Her body wasn't ugly, but she had enough sense of self awareness to realise that it was still quite plain. Her eyes where pretty, their honey brown shade inviting and warm. Her lips, those where probably her best feature. She liked the plumpness of them, and their natural pink shade.

But compared to some of the other girls at school, Hermione knew she didn't really stand a chance. Standing next to Ginny, with her elegant, shiny red hair and high cheekbones, or even Pansy, who although being nicknamed "Pugface" for most of their youth had grown into her looks and now seemed almost regal in her appearance, no one would take a second look at her.

It usually didn't bother her too much. It wasn't as though she was desperate for attention, or needed the validation from having boys look at her like that. But sometimes she wondered if all she would ever be seen as was the swotty, know it all girl with curly hair that no one could stand. Especially now that she didn't have Ron, she could catch herself wondering wether or not boys would ever want her. 

Of course looks weren't everything. She wanted someone who appreciated her mind and her personality just as much. But she also wasn't daft enough to believe that 18 year old boys wouldn't pass her over at the possibility for someone with a larger chest or more appealing face. 

Snapping out of her thoughts, Hermione picked up her bag and tossed it over her shoulder, noticing she only had ten minutes before Defense Against the Dark Arts begun. She rushes through the common room, not having time to check who was sitting there before heading out of the portrait hole. Once she was only a few turns away from the classroom she reaches into her bag, making sure her textbook is with her. 

Busy looking for her book, she doesn't notice the tall figure in front of her and walks right into him. 

"Oh sorry, sorry" She stutters, looking up to see who she had bumped into. Of course, she sighs inwardly. Who other than Draco Malfoy would she have the misfortune of meeting like this.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood" He sneers. Taken a back by his harsh words, she steps to the side, eyes slightly widening. Desperatly trying to come up with an adequate response, she stands there, a mere foot away from his broad chest. After looking her up and down, then letting out a disgusted scoff, he simply walks past her. 

Hermione does her best not to turn around and look at him as he walks off, and instead continues to the DADA classroom. Why had he called her that, she couldn't understand. How could he go from kissing her and teasing her in Potions, to going back to calling her such an awful word. He truly made no sense.

* * *

"I... I" Matthew stuttered. He was sitting in front of Hermione, studying together in the library seemingly unable to conjure the right words. 

"Yes?" Hermione said, trying to figure out what could have him acting so odd. Most of the time, Matthew knew exactly what to say. He was precise with his wording, both while speaking and on parchment. 

"I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend" He finally said. Hermione was slightly taken aback by his question. If it where Harry asking, she would have known it was strictly platonic. There was no way they would ever cross that line. But with Matthew, they had never truly made ay boundaries or set any rules for their friendship, even unspoken ones. 

"You mean, as a date?" She responded. Part of her was worried she would come off overeager, or full of herself for drawing such conclusions. Maybe all he wanted was company as he patroned his favourite shops. 

Matthew finally looked up from the book in front of him, daring to face her. "Yes, as a date."

Hermione smiled. It felt nice to be asked, it had after all been months since her and Ron had ended things and since then she hadn't really had any new developments in regards to her love life. Excluding that one kiss with Malfoy that she still couldn't quite understand and did her best to put out of her head. 

"I would love to, Matthew. It's been a while since I've been to Hogsmeade anyway, I should probably get some things while we're out." 

His face immediately lightened at the prospect. "Great! I can't wait" he said with a smile. 

Hermione felt her lips turn up at his reaction. He truly was very sweet. As Matthew turned his attention back to the book sitting in front of him, she couldn't help but keep her gaze focused on him. She hadn't really thought about him in that sense before, but as she now took him in she noticed how attractive he truly was. He had soft brown hair that most of the time looked like he had just rolled out of bed. His eyes where warm, a shade of hazel that she recognized being quite similar to her own. He had naturally broad shoulders, or so she assumed as she knew he didn't play quidditch. Slightly taller than her, he was at the perfect height for her to give him a hug. 

As Hermione went back to her studying she felt a hint of nervousness at the idea of going to Hogsmeade with the boy in front of her. He had become quite a good friend, and she didn't want to mess that up.

But at the same time she wanted to explore the possibility of it being something more. He was clearly interested, and it wasn't as if one date would destabilize their whole friendship. This was exactly what she needed, Hermione concluded before properly returning to the passage about ancient runes she had been attempting to understand for the past five minutes.

* * *

"I can't believe you have a date!" Ginny exclaimed while sitting on the bed, watching as Hermione was going through the abundance of clothes Ginny had pulled out of her wardrobe for Hermione to try on. Hermione frowned at her friends statement. "Not like that, of course you could get a date. I just meant I'm excited for you, I mean you haven't really been interested in that sort of thing since, well, Ron"

Hermione sighed, silently agreeing with Ginny's statement. She hadn't let herself get involved in anything remotely romantic since returning to Hogwarts, being far to preoccupied with readjusting to the normalcy of classes and common rooms after spending months searching for horcruxes. Yet here she was, with only an hour to spare before she was meant to meet Matthew by the courtyard before departing to Hogsmeade together

"I'm excited, too. Or I think I am. I didn't really expect Matthew to be interested in me as more than a friend, so I suppose i was a bit shocked" She said. "But he is nice. And quite handsome"

Ginny squealed at that last comment, before standing up and looking through the clothes she had gathered on the opposite bed. "This one would look incredible on you. Fowler won't be able to take his eyes off you, much less pick his jaw off the floor if you meet him wearing this"

Hermione regarded the piece of clothing her friend was holding up. It was a rather tight, magenta, V-neck sweater with gold seams round the edges. It was flattering, that she could see without even trying it on. Probably more suited for someone with a slightly larger chest, such as Ginny, but would probably still be rather complimentary on her. 

"Won't it be a bit much?" Hermione wondered. "I don't want to look like I'm putting it on right away. I mean, I don't really even know if I properly like him yet. This top definetly suggests I'm trying to look good for him"

Ginny let out an exasperated sigh as she took in Hermione's concerns. "As if that matters. If you decide you like him, well that's all well and good then isn't it. This top will hardly make him less interested. And if you decide you just want to remain friends, he would be a pig to suggest that top meant anything to the contrary"

Hermione contemplated what Ginny had said. Of course she made a good point. It's not as if wearing something that showed a bit of cleavage would give him any ideas, not if he was as good of a guy as he portrayed himself to be. She should be able to wear whatever she wanted without having to worry about misinterpretations.

She pulled the sweater over her head before turning around to look at herself in the mirror. It looked good on her, tight without looking too small, a bit of cleavage showing but not enough to be deemed inappropriate. The colour meshed well with her coffee brown hair that had been charmed to look slightly more tamed than usual. 

She heard Ginny make an appreciative noise behind her and it was settled. before she knew it she had been pulled over to the vanity, being prodded with a mascara brush and doing her best not to blink as Ginny swept the brush along her already dark lashes. A dash of blush to enhance her cheeks and bit of lipgloss later, she looked just right for the type of casual date she had in mind.

* * *

The courtyard was filled with seventh and eight year students, all either heading to Hogsmeade or awaiting the peace and quiet that would surely come once that many people had left the grounds. Hermione looked around to see if she recognized anyone in particular, noticing Neville standing across the crowd with his arm around Hannah Abbott. Hermione smiled, glad to see her friend looking so content. 

"There you are" She heard someone say behind her. As she whipped her head around she noticed Matthew standing there, dressed head to toe in Ravenclaw blue. "You look great" He smiled. 

"As do you" Hermione returned the compliment. "Although you could practically be mistaking for an Oompa Loompa wearing all that blue"

"A what?" Matthew grimaced. "I've never heard of such a thing"

Hermione let out a small laugh. She often forgot how little wizarding folk knew of muggle life. It was a bit sad actually, they often missed out on such classics by living in their own little bubble. Although, she supposed as Muggles were not able to access the wizarding world, perhaps it was fair that some things where left for them to have. If wizards and witches could have charms and potions, muggles could have movies and classic literature. 

"It's just a muggle reference. Nevermind, you look handsome anyway"

Matthew seemed pleased with that response, and took her arm in his as they headed down the hill. 


End file.
